The return of Iran to the international community would be beneficial for its neighbouring countries including the Gulf Arab states, a top international oil executive has said.

Speaking at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (Adipec) on Sunday, Christophe de Margerie, Chief Executive Officer of French energy company Total, said that while his comments may not be welcomed by some in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, it was important to understand the advantages of sanctions against Iran being removed.

“Having Iran back in the international community will be good news,” he said on a CEO panel in Abu Dhabi alongside fellow oil and gas executives.

Iran has significant gas reserves and could play an important role as an energy exporter as global energy demands increase.

Although he acknowledged that Iran “obviously has a lot of resources”, he sidestepped the potential for BP to return to Iran if sanctions were lifted. “We already have lots to do in the region,” he said.